Automatic livestock feeder



June 11, 1963 F. SARMENTO ETAL 3,093,270

' AUTOMATIC LIVESTOCK FEEDER Filed Jan. 4, 1961 INVENTORS FRANK SARMENTOK y ous ALMEIA M w Patented June 11, 1963 Calif.

Filed Jan. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 80,671 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-360) The presentinvention is generally related to livestock feeding systems and moreparticularly to an automatic feeding system incorporating a novelmetering device, wherein such system is capable of feeding both pelletor mash forms of grain.

Heretofore, various feeding systems have been employed for feeding grainof various forms to livestock, fowl, etc. Such prior art systems havebeen for the most part manual or semi-manual in operation. Several ofsuch systems have also been fully automatic in operation. In the manualor semi-manual types of systems, operation thereof is cumbersome andtime consuming a plurality of such sections are disposed in varioussequences and configurations. For example, the invention may be arrangedin a series of like sections 11 defining a U shape, an L shape, or astraight line, depending on the shape of the confining building or onthe desired feeding arrangement. Any change of direcand requiresconstant supervision to effect smooth and continuous operation. Althoughsuch systems permit easier feeding during periods of actual physicaloperation thereof the aforementioned manual supervision and physicalefiiort necessary for proper operation makes such operation anundesirable one.

On the other hand, prior art automatic feeding systems, require verylittle physical supervision or effort to effect continuous operation.But such systems have been, till the present time, capable of handlingonly pellet types of feed. Attempts to feed mash or crushed types offeed in such systems have resulted in binding or plugging the variouscomponents of the system, which plugging in turn, results in overallsystem failure and the expenditure of considerable time and effort tocorrect.

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems by utilizingan improved feeding configuration and a completely novel feed meteringvalve therein. Thus, such invention is capable of feeding with a minimumamount of manual effort and time, either pellet or mash types of grainfeeds.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved cattle or fowl, automatic feeding system capable of handlingeither pellet or mash types of grain feeds.

It is another object of the present invention to pro- 1 vide a novelfeed metering valve wherein minimum physical effort is required toactuate same and where such valve is constantly filled and ready forsubsequent use.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a feedmetering valve capable of handling with a minimum of physical efforteither pellet or mash types of grain feeds.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention in conjunctionwith the operation thereof will become apparent by referring to thefollowing description and claims in combination with the accompanyingdrawing, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinally-sectioned view of a representative sectionof the present invention including the novel feed metering valve;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinally-sectioned expanded perspective view of themetering valve of FIGURE 1 in greater detail; and

FIGURE 3 is a detailed removed view of the vane ratchet drive shown inremoved-section 3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing and in particular to FIGURE 1there is shown a section 11 of the present invention wherein suchsection represents a typical portion thereof. Although the invention isherein described with respect to a single section 11, it is to beunderstood that in actual application of the invention tion necessary toeffect this configuration is accomplished by the use of elbows of thedesired angle located between the respective sections. Such elbows arefurther described below.

Although the use of such sequences of feeding sections as are mentionedabove is well known in the art of livestock feeding systems, the presentinvention overcomes the problem of feeding both mash or crushed types ofgrain, by employing certain simple features heretofore not evident inprior art feeding configurations. These features are explained morefully in the description infra.

More particurlarly concerning the structure of the present invention,section 11 further comprises a hopper 12 formed of a rectangular uppermain body 13, and a tapered lower body 14 depending therefrom. Peedentering the upper main body 13 falls into lower body 14 and is thusavailable for continually filling a feed metering valve 16 as the latteris operated. Feed is introduced to the upper body 13 by a conventionalscrew conveyor means 17 which includes an outer containing tube 18, anda rotating screw herein called a flighting 19 coaxially mounted withinthe length of the tube v18, whereby such rotating flighting transportsfeed therealong in a manner well known in the art of screw assemblies.Tube 18 is horizontally attached to one wall .of the body 13 by suitablemeans such as welding or preferably by bolting thereto. The flighting 19protrudes beyond the end of tube 18 and the wall of body 13, to mount onthe opposite wall of body 13 by means of a bearing 21. Bearing 21 ismounted to the body 13 by means of a narrow bearing support 22 whichextends upwardly from the bearing. Such a mounting configuration allowsmaximum clearance along the bearing for passing feed.

In all but the final hopper it is necessary to pass feed thereth-roughto thus permit filling all subsequent hoppers in the feed system.Therefore, on the bearing side of the intermediate hoppers there ismounted a screw conveyor means 17 identical to that hereinbeforedescribed. The adjoining flightin-gs 1 are secured one to the otherwithin their respective hopper at the bearing 21 by means of a shaft 25extending therebetween, which shaft passes through the bearing to bearradially thereagainst to provide for low friction rotation of fiighting19. The shaft 25 is secured to the incoming fiighting by a pin 30 and tothe outgoing fiighting by suitable means, i.e. welding. An electricmotor or other mode of rotational power is attached to the input end ofthe integral lengths of the fiighting 19 to rotate the entire lengththereof. The elbows of previous mention are located along the lengths offlighting where it is necessary to change direction thereof. Such elbowsare usually some form of gearbox and chain drive combination and arewell known in the art of feeding systems, thus requiring no furtherexplanation.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, the feed metering valve 16 of previousmention further comprises an outer cylinder 23, which has welded to theupper end within and is 'bolted to the lower end of the cylinder 23 bymeans of a plurality of flanges 29. Such flanges 29 are welded to thelower surface of the plate 24, along its circumference. A wedge-shapedportion is removed from plate 28 to form a feed out-let hole 31, similarto the entrance hole 26 in plate 24. The plates 24 and 28 are mounted oncylinder 23 in a configuration to dispose the entrance and outlet holesrespectively in a 180 spaced relation. A hole 32 is drilled through thecenter of the plate 28.

A rotating, divider vane assembly 33 fits snugly within cylinder 23 andcomprises a center axis of a hollow pipe 34 which extends the length ofthe cylinder 23 to protrude therefrom. The diameter of the pipe 34 issuch to fit snugly within the holes 27 and 32 of plates 24 and 28respectively, and to rotate therein. Vanes 36 are welded along the axiallength of pipe 34 to extend radially therefrom at 120 spaced intervals,to thus divide the cylinder 23 into three equal volumes. The vanes 36are of such dimensions to extend radially to the wall of the cylinder,and axially to the plates 24 and 28. The upper end of pipe 34 is formedinto three tapered shoulders spaced 120 apart along the circumferencethereof, thereby forming a three shouldered ratchet 37. Such ratchet 37allows unidirectional rotational force to be exerted upon the vanes 36,preferably in a clockwise direction as viewed from above. A drive shaft38 extends the length of the pipe 34 to protrude therefrom at eitherend. The upper end of the shaft 38 has a single projection 39 extendingradially therefrom to engage a shoulder in the ratchet 37. A hollowcylindrical sleeve 41 is coaxially welded to the upper surface of theplate 24 to thus extend above the protruding shaft and pipe. The sleeve41 is in turn covered with a cap 42, which is attached thereto bythreaded means. The sleeve and cap thereby prevent feed from enteringthe upper end of the shaft 38 through the hole 27 to cause bindingtherein.

The lower end of the shaft 38 extends substantially beyond the lower endof the pipe 34 and has a handle 44 attached thereto by means of aset-screw 43. The handle 44 is mounted on the lower end of the shaft 38at a substantial distance therefrom to allow sufficient travel in theaxial direction of the integral shaft to permit the projection 39 tomove upwardly to clear the shoulder after an operation of the meteringvalve 16.

Concerning now in detail the operation of the present invention and moreparticularly the operation of the novel feed metering valve 16, at suchtime as the hopper 12 is being filled by the screw conveyor means 17,feed drops through the upper entrance hole 26 and into the two volumesdefined by the vanes and which are exposed to the hole. These twoexposed volumes are thus filled and ready for a subsequent feedingoperation whenever feed is introduced to the hopper, or as long as feedremains therein. As the above two exposed volumes are being filled, thethird volume formed by the vanes is disposed 180 in opposed spacialrelation to the upper entrance hole 26 and is therefore not exposed tosuch upper hole. Rather, such third volume is exposed to the lower hole31 in the plate 28, thereby allowing the feed therein to pass from suchvolume to a waiting feedtrough (not shown) disposed below. Thus duringoperation of the metering valve 16, there is always one empty volume,one full volume and one full or filling volume within the cylinder 23.At no time is it necessary to wait for the valve to fill, as in priorart devices. At such time as the handle 44 is actuated clockwise (asviewed from above) through an operating cycle of the first approachingfilled volume between two vanes is presented to the lower hole 31 inplate 28 as previously described to allow the feed therein to droptherefrom. Simultaneously the previously emptied volume, newly exposedto the upper hole 26 is filled. Although the valve may be operated twicein succession feed is still available due to the fact that there are twovolumes exposed to the hole 26 simultaneously, whereby the subsequentvolume to approach the hole 26 is being filled even as the valve isbeing operated.

While the invention has been disclosed with respect to .a singlepreferred embodiment, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat numerous variations and modific-ation may be made within the spiritand scope of the invention and thus it is not intended to limit theinvention except insofar as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mash and pellet feed metering valve for dispensing feed from ahopper, the combination comprising a cylinder permanently closed at itsupper end and demountably closed at its lower end, said cylinder havingan upper hole in the top thereof and a lower hole in the bottomspacially disposed in opposed relation to said upper hole, said cylinderbeing rigidly sealed to said hopper, a hollow pipe extending axiallythrough the cylinder and protruding through the upper and lower endsthereof, a shaft extending within said pipe to protrude therefrom ateither end thereof, a handle affixed to the lower end of said shaft,unidirectional ratchet means connecting said pipe to said shaft at theirupper ends, and a plurality of vanes radially affixed to said hollowpipe to divide the length of the volume of said cylinder into threeequal axially-extending volumes, wherein two of said volumes are filledthrough said upper hole and the third of said volumes is simultaneouslyemptied through said lower hole.

2. An improved feed metering device for dispensing feed from a hoppercomprising a containing cylinder rigidly secured to the bottom of saidhopper, a circular upper plate rigidly disposed to separate the volumesof said cylinder and hopper, said upper plate having an entrance holetherein, a circular lower plate demountably secured to seal the lowerend of said cylinder, said lower plate having an outlet hole therein,said entrance hole being circumferentially spaced from said outlet holeby 180", vane support means coaxially extending through said cylinder,an uneven plurality of vanes secured to said vane support means todefine an uneven plurality of axially extending rotatable volumes Withinsaid cylinder,

wherein said outlet hole is in register with a single axially extendingvolume defined by adjacent vanes while said entrance hole issimultaneously in register with a portion of at least two of saidaxially extending volumes defined by three successive vanes, a handle,and unidirectional ratchet means disposed to rotatably couple said vanesupport means to said handle, whereupon reciprocal operation of saidhandle causes said plurality of vanes to rotate in unidirectionalmotion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A MASH AND PELLET FEED METERING VALVE FOR DISPENSING FEED FROM AHOPPER, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A CYLINDER PERMANENTLY CLOSED AT ITSUPPER END AND DEMOUNTABLY CLOSED AT ITS LOWER END, SAID CYLINDER HAVINGAN UPPER HOLE IN THE TOP THEREOF AND A LOWER HOLE IN THE BOTTOMSPACIALLY DISPOSED IN 180* OPPOSED RELATION TO SAID UPPER HOLE, SAIDCYLINDER BEING RIGIDLY SEALED TO SAID HOPPER, A HOLLOW PIPE EXTENDINGAXIALLY THROUGH THE CYLINDER AND PROTRUDING THROUGH THE UPPER AND LOWERENDS THEREOF, A SHAFT EXTENDING WITHIN SAID PIPE TO PROTRUDE THEREFROMAT EITHER END THEREOF, A HANDLE AFFIXED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT,UNIDIRECTIONAL RATCHET MEANS CONNECTING SAID PIPE TO SAID SHAFT AT THEIRUPPER ENDS, AND A PLURALITY OF VANES RADIALLY AFFIXED TO SAID HOLLOWPIPE TO DIVIDE THE LENGTH OF THE VOLUME OF SAID CYLINDER INTO THREEEQUAL AXIALLY-EXTENDING VOLUMES WHEREIN TWO OF SAID VOLUMES ARE FILLEDTHROUGH SAID UPPER HOLE AND THE THIRD OF SAID VOLUMES IS SIMULTANEOUSLYEMPTIED THROUGH SAID LOWER HOLE.